Fried flat fish with a bean stew
Fillets of plaice or lemon sole are simply fried in butter and served with a wholesome bean stew laced with chorizo.
Ingredients
For the bean stew
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 200g/7oz cooking chorizo, cut into small chunks
- 1 tomato, peeled, seeds removed, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 110g/4oz roasted peppers (from a jar), thickly sliced
- 350g/12oz tinned haricot beans, drained
- 2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
- 4 sprigs thyme, finely chopped
- 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 250ml/9fl oz chicken stock
- 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter
- 5 tbsp double cream
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped flatleaf parsley
For the fish
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 whole plaice or lemon sole, filleted and pin boned
- 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter
Method
Heat a large frying pan until medium-hot. Add the olive oil and the chorizo and cook for 5 minutes, or until the oil has changed colour and the chorizo is crisp around the edges.
Add the tomato, garlic and shallot. Gently fry for a minute, then add the peppers, beans, rosemary, thyme and paprika and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the shallot has softened and the volume of liquid has reduced slightly. Stir in the butter, cream and parsley. Season, to taste, with plenty of black pepper.
For the fish, heat the oil in a medium frying pan. Once hot, add the fish skin-side down in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Add the butter and baste the fish with it as it melts.
To serve, place the beans in serving bowls and top with the fish.
